Monthly Archives: January 2019

Brawther’s ‘BL12’ and ‘COB01’ will be available again from February 1, with ‘BL13’ arriving later in the year

Formed in 1994 by Chez Damier and Ron Trent and ran solely by Chez Damier from 1996,
Balance Alliance is the vinyl-only imprint rooted in raw and righteous house music. As well as releasing music by the label founders, it’s been home to Brawther, C.V.O and Glenn Underground.

With Brawther being the first artist to release on the label after a 13-year hiatus back in
2010, his EPs ‘BL12’, ‘BL13’ and ‘COB01’ have been selected for a limited run of 300 units each having originally sold over 6,000 between them

Chez Damier:“This is the first time they’ve been repressed in a very long time, with us initially stopping production back when Brawther went on to run Courtesy of Balance. Balance Alliance was never about the label itself it was always about the artists, and I always saw Balance as the art gallery with the guys being the true artists. We wanted to re-press these releases as they are seminal to the label and still so relevant today.”

‘BL12’ and ‘COB01’ are hitting the shelves on February 1 via Syncrophone distribution and will be available from outlets including Clone Records, Technique, Carpet And Snares, Phonica, Juno, Deejay.de, RedEye and more.

Said to have invented concert techno, Berlin-based solo artist and bandleader Jan Blomqvist has released a series of remixes from his album ‘Disconnected’. In the age of social media, album ‘Disconnected’ focused on the meaning of being disconnected; drawing on themes of incoherent, broken narratives and escaping from reality.

The third release in a string of remixes, album track ‘A Bridge Over Novocaine’ receives an eerie and emotive rework from Berlin-based producer, Tim Schaufert. With a subtle trap-inspired beat, the track maintains the hypnotic vocals of the original, layered with metallic sounding synths. Offering a softer approach, slowing down the tempo with the inclusion of contrasting darker elements.

You don’t need us to tell you how much heat Tim Penner’s generating right now. Currently hovering around molten, four years in and four years up the Torontonian’s working, touring and producing, well, pretty much everywhere these days.

Since his first radar appearance back in 2014, he’s released deeper sided cuts on Slideways, JOOF, Cycles, and a half dozen other prominent labels. Lauded by DJs who themselves enjoy multi-genre appeal, he’s become one of the most discussed music makers in his area. That ‘area’ specifically though depends on who you’re talking to. Some have him down as ‘the deep trance guy’. Others ‘progressive’, ‘deep house’ or to some, anything with ‘tech’ in its title. Tim, himself, doesn’t express. However at the musical crossroads of John Digweed, Guy J, Hernan Cattaneo, John Fleming and Max Graham lies the crux of it.

To date a singles-focused producer, the onset of 2019 will see the debut of Tim’s first mass body of work. Tightly curated and (by virtue of) a perfectly formed album compact, it’s time for ‘Radio Silence’.

Seeing electronic music in a non-linear/non-binary form, Tim doesn’t address it from the same standpoint as you or I. Thus this is an album not about progression, but dimension (or indeed dimensions plural). ‘Radio Silence’ doesn’t play out in a building ‘mix-comp’ fashion. Anything but. To expect its first track to be its darkest or its last the lightest/clubbiest will quickly false foot you. If one track has a stronger techno bias, the next will have a markedly different composite – and an un-anticipatable one at that. Comparably it’s also never dark for the sake of being ‘moody’ or ‘cool’, or light simply to provide respite. When tonal contrasts occur, they’re incidental – part of the album’s bigger picture/broader experience.

Stepping in, Tim would have you see every track as being largely the same, albeit assembled in a different dimension. The result is a higher thinking, expertly established electronic music trip. Conclusions on it are the individual listeners alone to draw. There’s no predestined path. Be in no doubt though, everyone’s going to be walking away with an opinion.

Using the radio dial as a mechanic (which gives certain sections an ethereally retro futuristic feel) the album station-surfs through its numbers. ‘Radio Silence’s frequencies don’t oscillate wildly, but remain in a constant state of flux. Throughout you’ll find everything from the filmic to the dramatic, the clandestine to the kaleidoscopic and the edgy to the aquiline. Eclectic FX, 303 and industrialism echo in one track, supplanted by galactic & otherworldly sounds/sequences in the next. Some tracks draw notably on sonic references from decades past. Others have no frame of reference other than the here & now.

Of the album’s avant-garde approach,

Tim says: “the story I had in mind stems from the concept of reaching new dimensions. The first song depicts static and a vintage radio. This radio ultimately ends up being the vessel to transport the user to new times and places. Each song really represents a different dimension. As the listeners travels to the end of the album, they have potentially reached a place of awakening and rebirth (its closing tracks)”. Tim goes further into its mechanics on the album’s creation on ‘Radio Silence’s trailer video.

Renaissancereturns to Birmingham in March for a special one-off show, featuring Innervisions bossDixonfor an immersive 3-hour set. Also featured on the line-up will be Innervisions cohortTrikkwith UK born, L.A basedEagles & Butterfliescompleting the line-up in the main room.Following Renaissance’s previous jaunt to the city where Tale Of Us & Sasha went B2B for a headline set, the legendary brand will take over the newly opened event space,The Mill. Formerly one of the city’s most iconic venues, Rainbow Warehouse. Renaissance will transform the space with their high production standards, alongside a world-class line-up of DJ’s. An artist who certainly needs no introduction, Berlin-basedDixonheadlines the event with a special 3-hour set. Building his name and playing his craft for over two decades, he has gained the status of one of the world’s foremost figures in electronic music. Poised to make his Renaissance debut, the ‘Innervisions’ boss also marks a rare Birmingham appearance when he brings his unique brand of minimalistic House and Techno to the country’s second city.Support on the night comes from Innervisions regularTrikk, who is praised by many as an artist to watch, as the Portuguese musician lines up a great 2019. DJ and Producer,Eagles & Butterfliesalso joins the line-up in his hometown, following on from his highly-acclaimed recent promo mix for Renaissance.In Room Two, the iconicBlackboxreturns to Birmingham since its closure in 2018 with original sound & lighting intact and is set to be hosted byPENDA; Birmingham’s grass roots brand, bringing a residents showcase of the highest calibre of local talent.Historically, Renaissance established a global reputation as a highly respected club brand and record label. Having released more than 200 compilations and singles, the label has a back-catalogue that boasts a who’s who of established artists. Recently, the ‘ReMix Collection’ series of remixes has seen consecutive Beatport Top 100 No.1’s for Renaissance with Solomun, Tale Of Us and Maceo Plex delivering some of the biggest tracks of the last year on the label. More high-profile releases are imminent and with more events like this in the pipeline, the brand is having its very own ‘renaissance’.

Since Key4050 first addressed crowds at 2017’s Dreamstate SoCal, John O’Callaghan & Bryan Kearney’s horde of purpose-built, set-exclusive material has been locked up tighter than Fort Knox. Audiences at EDC Mexico, Bangkok’s Transmission and the Subculture arena event at Melbourne’s Hisense have subsequently fallen under its thrall. Remaining the sole preserve of their kinetic, redline-pushing set experiences, no track titles, personal insights or take-home music has become public.

Fourteen months after that first performance however 4050’s key is finally starting to turn. The moment some thought might never happen… is. Through the ‘Tales From The Temple’ album John & Bryan are prepped to release all that set-jet fuel en masse.

Blazing the path for the release of an entire 32-track arsenal’s worth of material on Feb 15, the first music to be made officially available from the pair’s union arrives today. Four of the duo’s festival flamers (‘Utterly Butterly’, ‘Birch’, ‘Finkle und Einhorn’ and ‘The Truth’) are available now through Spotify and as pre-order Instant Grats.

If you’ve seen Key4050 first-hand, you’ll know the type of pressure that’s on the rise here. If not, well this quad will put you in the no-uncertain-terms picture. A compression of carnivorous bass, drum march, staccato percussion and techno-tenacity, pinning together polygraph-tense drops and all wrapped up with their HD studio work, Key4050’s output is energy redefined.

And the fine release news doesn’t end there even. If the aforementioned has you foaming at the mouth for more, well the first official Key4050 single hits stores but a week later. A narcotic, psychotropic passage to tech-trance’s outer limits; ‘Beetlejuice’ drops Feb 1.

In the digital world we live in, fear is everywhere; we fear the prospect that digitization could make us redundant to robots. The world of electronic music producer and techno DJ Remute has never looked more different. Embracing the digital age with all its nuances and extremities, Hamburg based Remute views digitization as an ally to the human race; one that enriches our lives and drives us forward.“In times where the term ‘digitization’ triggers dystopian fears and worries, I wanted to provide a soundtrack for an optimistic vision of a technologic future with man and machine in unison. – Remute

After his highly acclaimed 2017 album ‘Limited’ which single-handedly initiated the musical comeback of the floppy disk, Remute proved that 1,44 Megabytes are just enough for good music. Making a statement to the wider sphere, showcasing how old school technological formats can marry together with man-made musical production. Striking back in his quest to marry man and machine, Remute presents his forthcoming ‘Technoptimistic’ LP on another ground-breaking format; The Sega Mega Drive Cartridge.“The machines work for us. We program, they execute. Technology helps us with uncomfortable tasks, makes us do adventurous things and can even cure us when we’re ill. If we maintain a positive attitude towards technology, it will enhance our minds and take us to far places.
That’s why I am TECHNOPTIMISTIC.” – Remute

From the roots of electronic music, synthesizer video game samples have become synonymous across the multi-faceted genre, creating an otherworldly feeling of pleasure. In ‘Technoptimistic’, this effect is encountered first hand in its rawest form in the likes of ‘A Warm Feeling Of Total Immersion’, ‘Instant’and ‘Obsolete (Trust)’. Mapping a human relationship with electronics, Remute channels the rapid pace of modern communication through a bass heavy approach with ‘Jo Coin’ and ‘Market Research’. Blending a plethora of electronic genres throughout the album, ‘Deepfake’ offers a notable foray into trance territories. ‘The Right To Be Forgotten’, ‘Knuddelz’ and ‘Robo Knife’ take a deep and darker route into areas of hardcore and electro, whilst ‘Debug’ transcends into a dreamy downtempo experience.

Familiar to many as a pivotal element for hours of childhood gaming entertainment, Remute adopts and reimagines the Sega Mega Drive for the present day; As the first techno music album to be programmed specifically for this format. Wholly generated in real time, Remute’s ‘Technoptimistic’ LP is pushing the 90’s game-console soundchip to the maximum; the soundtrack for an enduring friendship with machines.

Coming off of a tremendously successful 2018 that saw ARTY release twenty new songs between his two projects (ARTY and ALPHA 9), ARTY is starting 2019 stronger than ever with a superb new single on Armada Music, the world’s biggest independent dance music label. Today, the Russian electronic music icon launched his new single ‘Save Me Tonight,’ which includes a star-studded music video and a big tour across North America.

Getting fans hooked in the blink of an eye, ‘Save Me Tonight’ sees ARTY produce what he truly believes is the best record he’s ever made. With an exciting blend of stunning piano chords and powerful vocals that go on to erupt into melodic, high-impact dance music madness, the record is an instant highlight, crowd favorite and airwave smash in one — a song that ARTY attributes to a special period in dance music.

ARTY:“Since the day I was introduced to the dance scene, I’ve always had a special place for House music in my heart. This song’s mix of strong songwriting and deep lyrics makes this my favorite out of all the records I’ve ever made. It’s heavily influenced by the golden era of Progressive/House music, so it is a really uplifting track that utilizes a lot of old-school piano stabs and chords, but also has all kinds of other elements, like from ‘90s House music.”

The music video for ‘Save Me Tonight’ was shot in Los Angeles and tells a recognizable story of the situations life throws at us and how the end of a lesson is often the beginning of something better. The video stars Golden Globe nominated actress Lily Collins — daughter of musician Phil Collins — and includes a cameo performance from actor Noah Centineo, who also directed the music video.

ARTY:“Working with Lily and Noah was a dream come true. We asked Lily to be in the video without even knowing she was a fan of my music and she said yes. Having the chance to collaborate with my friend Noah to direct and also star in my first music video was so much fun. He did an incredible job.”

2018 has been a record-breaking year for famed DJ/producer and EDM heavyweight Artem ‘Arty’ Stoliarov (or ARTY). Starting 2018 with his single ‘Sunrise’ going to #2 on U.S. dance radio, ARTY continued to shock the dance world with over seventeen new releases in just nine months (ending 2018 with twenty releases) between his globally acclaimed ARTY and progressive trance-focused ALPHA 9 projects, including incredibly successful remixes for Skrillex, Above & Beyond, Axwell /\ Ingrosso and Armin Van Buuren, making him #1 in 2018 for most releases by any EDM artist.

Now residing in Los Angeles, ARTY performs at the biggest festivals and clubs in the world (e.g. Ultra, Electric Daisy Carnival, Tomorrowland, Ushuaïa, Amnesia Ibiza, Creamfields), and clocks up millions of streams on Spotify. ARTY is a purebred artist capable of true greatness, and he’s bound to achieve just that as he goes all out right off the bat in 2019 with ‘Save Me Tonight’.

Fast Distance is back on A State of Trance to turn in two tracks of the highest order. With ‘Odin’ and ‘Divine’, the Belgian Trance icon offers a dual release filled to the brim with heavenly melodies and godlike drops, making sure that Trance fans will be on cloud nine for months to come.

With a bond like no other, DJ/Production duo and label heads, Catz ‘n Dogz announce their fourth studio album ‘Friendship’. Starting out as close friends, the pair have risen to critical acclaim, leaving a lasting impression on the electronic music community. With friendship as one of the main components to their success, their forthcoming album presents a warming and emotional journey, channeling the intricacies of friendship and relationships.

Setting the tone for what is to come, Catz ‘n Dogz release the forthcoming-album track ‘New Love’ alongside a series of remixes. Celebrating new possibilities and challenges that come throughout life, ‘New Love’ sees rumbling break-beat and euphoric synth lines layered with an uplifting piano loop, underpinning the track. The first remix, a Club Mix of the original, taking things down a darker path with rolling percussion from the get-go. The original piano chords transformed into deeper synth sounds, whilst injecting bursts of the original vocals.

Running Back label-head, Gerd Janson, adds his signature touch to the track. Keeping elements of the original piano chords, he cuts up the vocals with addition of dreamy synths, bringing the track into a new dimension. Finally, Andrea Oliva kicks off his edit with pounding bass, before introducing the euphoria-inducing original piano chords and diving into a cosmic melodic breaking down.

Sultan + Shepard are known all over the world for their ability to give a sublime twist to esteemed records or theme songs, and they’ve just emerged with another sterling example. Today, the Grammy nominees released ‘American Dream’, which samples the soundtrack of Academy Award winning film ‘American Beauty’.

Drawing inspiration from the main theme and empowering message of ‘American Beauty’, Sultan + Shepard’s brand-new single is the sonic equivalent of any clubber’s ‘American Dream’. Bearing all the hallmarks of a track that sticks for life, this amazingly synergistic instrumental comes very close to absolute club-scented perfection.

Grammy nominees and frequent Beatport charters, Sultan + Shepard have collaborated with a range of top-tier artists, such as Tiësto, David Guetta, Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Coldplay to name a few. As Canada’s well-known dance music force and one of the biggest duos in the industry, they effortlessly bridge the gap between dance music and pop, which landed them the Canadian songwriters SOCAN Music Award for International Song Of The Year in 2013 for ‘Bad’, the multi-platinum single they co-wrote alongside David Guetta, Showtek and VASSY. Moreover, they spent six weeks atop the U.S. Mediabase Airplay chart and racked up a JUNO award nomination and over 23 million streams on Spotify with ‘Almost Home’ (with Nadia Ali).